A roll stand of the type described in German patent document 2,440,495 has rolls that are mounted for rotation only about respective axes in journal blocks that themselves are axially displaceable in the frame of the roll stand. Respective pairs of hydraulic piston-and-cylinder units normally provided on the service side of the stand each have one part permanently fixed on the frame of the stand and another part movable relative to the one part and fastened by some removable link to a respective journal block. Expansion or contraction of the actuators of one such pair will axially shift the journal block it is connected to, the roll axially fixed in this journal block, and the drive-side journal block also axially fixed to the roll and axially slidable in the frame.
The purpose of such a construction is to allow axial opposite displacement of two like rolls, normally the working rolls and/or the inner backup rolls. Such axially opposite shifting of these rolls has, as is well known in the art and described at length in other patents of this same assignee, an effect on workpiece shape and roll wear.
In the known systems force is transmitted to each journal block from the respective pair of hydraulic actuators by links connected to generally radially or tangentially extending arms formed on the respective journal block, the rolls being as is normal axially fixed albeit rotatable in the respective journal blocks. Since part of each actuator is mounted on the frame on the service side of the stand next to the respective journal block, which itself is vertically displaceable in the stand to adjust nip height or workpiece thickness, it is necessary that the link connecting the actuators to these arms permit some relative vertical movement perpendicular to the normally horizontal axis of the actuator which itself is parallel to the roll axes.
The standard procedure as described in German patent document 3,331,055 is to provide these arms each with a vertically extending pusher rail which is flanked front and back with some play by rails of the link. The outer link-mounted rail, that is the one further from the frame, must be removable so that the respective roll and its journal blocks can be pulled axially out of the stand for regrinding or replacement. When the cylinder is the frame-mounted part of the actuator, this cylinder is formed on its flat vertical side turned toward the respective journal block with a groove extending parallel to the roll axis and receiving a guide rail of the respective journal block. For removal of the roll this guide rail must also be made dissassemblable.